Illusion-boat.



No. 744,880. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. M. E. SMITH.

ILLUSION BOAT.

APIPIJIUA'ISIOIT FILED DBO. 9, 1902.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

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M. E. SMITH. ILLUSION BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED no.9, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

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PATBNTED NOV. 24, 19031 M. E. SMITH. ILLUSION BOAT. A 'rLmATI N nun) D20. 9, 1902.

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:No. 744,880. PATENTED NOV. 24,1903. M. E. SMITH.

ILLUSION BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 9, 1902.

MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

lllrrnn lF atented November 2 1, 1903.

MARSHALL SMITH, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

HLLUSION=BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7%43380, dated November 24:, 1903.

Application filed December 9,1902. Serial No. 184,464. (No mode l5 To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARSHALL E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, Texas, have invented an Illusion-Boat,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a carrier for amusement and pleasure, and more particularly to a carrier by which mock diving trips may be made, or trips which will have the appearance of the boat or carrier going down under water and traveling under the water, by which pleasure and curiosity seekers may go on trips to the bottom of the sea, and the object is to construct a carrier by which such imaginary trips will seem to be real. Various objects which are found in the sea or so represented to be in the sea are to be represented in paintings, statuary, designs, reliefwork, or living models to aid in making such a trip appear to be real.

Other'objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings,which form a partof this application and specification.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the entire arrangement of the canal, the boat, the water-tank, and the track on which the boat runs. Fig. 2is a perspective View of the boat and abroken perspective view of the track and the canal. Fig.3 is a horizontal section of the boat, showing the plan of water distribution for creating the illusions. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the water-reservoir on top of the boat and of the cocks for turning the water out of the reservoir to go to the windows of the boat. Fig. 5 is a broken vertical section of the waterdistributing mechanism. Fig. 6 is a broken plan view showing a variation in the waterdistributing mechanism. Fig. 7 is a broken vertical section showing a variation of the means shown in Fig. 6.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1 is shown an endless oblong track 1, on which the carrier 2 travels. The track 1 enters and goes under water at the point 3 and emerges from the water at the point 4..

A canal 5 of suitable depth and width is provided,in which various objects of interest may be placed. A tank 6 is placed opposite the point at which the boat stops for receiving and discharging passengers for replenishing the water-reservoir carried by the boat. This tankis provided with a swinging pipe 7, which automatically controls a valve, such as is in common use for turning water into the boatreservoir. The boat stops at the entrance and exit, which are on opposite sides of a ticket-office 8, placed on the large platform 9. This boat is provided with wheels 10 and other running-gear similar to that of electric cars. The wheels 10 are driven, preferably, by a storage electric battery. (Not shown.) Entrance and exit must be made through the door 11. There are two or more'steps 12 downward after passing in at the door. Any practical number of seats 13 may be placed on the floor 14, and a partition 15 prevents too many people sitting on one side of the boat. When a load of passengers has been received, the door must be closed and kept closed until the boat makes the entire trip to the bottom of the sea and back to the starting-point. The door 11 and the windows 16 are provided with perfectlytransparent lights 17. The door and each window are provided with two lights of perfectly-transparent glass, and the lights are so arranged that water may rise up between the lights of each window and door. Consequently the windowframes and the door-frame must be made water-tight. The

object of having water rise up between the lights is to create appearance of the boat going down into the water. The water must be so arranged that it will rise up gradually simultaneously in all the windows alike. The people in looking out of the windows will look through water and see the scenery, devil-fish, schools of different kinds of fish, kelp or seaweed, mermaids, divers, sunken ships, 850., as the boat passes along the canal. The water is made to rise up between the lights of the window and the door gradually as the boat is supposed to go down into the water and must be let out of the windows and door or pass down gradually as the boat appears to go up out of the water. This may be done in various ways. The drawings show two ways of causing the water to rise up in the windows. A reservoir 18, consisting of a large pipe,

extends around the outer edge of the top of the boat except across the door 11. The door 11 extends up through the lights in the top of the boat, the side of the boat exposed not being deep enough for passengers to pass through a door no deeper than the sides. The reservoir 18 is filled through a pipe which is provided of the pilot.

withafunnel-shaped mouth 19. The waterwill run both ways as far as the door 11. In order to put the water in all the windows promptly and simultaneously, the reservoir 18 is tapped by pipes 20, one for each window and one for the door, and these pipes extend down and bend under the side of the boat and then up to the lights 17, passing through openings 21 up between the lights. The pipes stand closed by a series of cocks 22,which are provided with handles 23. A cord 24 is connected to the outer part of all the handles 23, and acord 25 is connected to the inner part of all the handles 23. At the front end of the boat the cord 24 passes through two rings 26, mounted on the pipe 18, down inside of the boat for the convenience rings 27, also down inside of the boat where the pilot canreach it. When the water is to be let into the windows, the pilot pulls the cord 24:, and as soon as sufficient water has passed into the windows the pilot pulls cord 25 to close the cooks 22. A reservoir 28, similar to reservoir 18, is arranged about the lower outer edge of the boat near up to the windows, and the open spaces between the lights of each window stand connected to or with the reservoir 28 by means of short pipes 29. When water is to be let out of the windows, the reservoir 28 is opened by a valve 30, the valve 30 being mounted in a T-pipe which is connected to the pipe 28. One pipe 20 would let the water into thewindows, but probably not as fast as it would be desired in all the windows simultaneously. The valves 22 are opened when the boat is about to go down into the water and closed as soon as sufficient water has risen in the windows. The reservoir 28 is opened when the boat is about to pass out of the water, and the water passes down into the canal 5, whence it may be pumped back into the tank 6.

Another way of causing the water to rise in the windows and the door would be by the means shown in Fig. 6 or Fig. 7. The reservoir 18 may be dispensed with entirely and only the reservoir 28 used. A T-pipe 31 is connected to reservoir-pipe 28, and a pipe 32 connects the pipe 31 with a drum 33, which is provided with a piston 34, mounted therein. The reservoir28is in communication with the windows, as before described. The drum 33 is connected with any suitable pump by means of a pipe 35. When air is forced into the drum behind the piston 31, the water will be forced out of the drum into the reservoir 28, and the water in this reservoir will rise up in the windows. When the water is to be let out of the windows, the air-cock 36 in drum 33 is opened. The water will run back into The cord 25 passes through two.

the drum 33, and the water will run down out of the windows and back into the reservoir 28.

It may be still more practical to dispense with the reservoir 28 and have instead a central reservoir 37 and pipes 38 leading from the reservoir 37 to the windows, as shown in Fig. 7, and then to connect the drum 33 with the reservoir 37. This plan would require less water than either of the plans previously described.

The water which is to be placed between the window-lights must be perfectly transparent to give the best effects in viewing the scenery.

The boat is provided with a flag-pole 39, and the entire boat maybe made ornamental and durable. The front part of the boat is provided with a partition 40 to form an apartment for the operator.

Various changes may be made in the constructionof the boat and in the arrangement of the various parts without departing from my invention.

In the front part of Fig. 3 are shown a pumphandle 41 for operating the pump to be used, a key 42 for opening the air-cock 36, and levers or keys 43 for starting the boat by making electrical contact of the operative parts.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a boat provided with suitable runninggear, an endless track for said boat partly submerged in water, and a canal for said boat; means for creating optical illusions as said boat travels on said track consisting of windows each having double transparent lights and means for forcing water to rise up between said lights.

2. An illusion-boat provided with an endless track partly submerged in water, a canal for said track, means for conveying said boat on said track, and means for creating optical illusions as said boat travels on said track consisting of windows provided with double transparent lights and means for causing water to rise up between said lights.

3. An illusion-boat provided'with a suitable canal and having means for creating optical illusions as said boat travels in said canal, said means consisting of double transparent window-lights for said boat, a reservoir for water, suitable pipes for connecting the space between each pair of window-lights with said reservoir, and means for causing the water to rise up between each pair of windowlights as the boat descends into said canal.

4:. An illusion-boat provided with an endless track partly submerged in water and having means for creating optical illusions while said boat is traveling on said track, said means consisting of windows provided with double transparent lights and means for causing water to rise up and stand between each pair of said lights.

5. An illusion-boat provided with an end- ICC less track partly submerged in water and having means for creating optical illusions while said boat is traveling on said track, said means consisting of windows provided with double transparent lights and means for causing water to rise up and stand between each pair of said lights, and means for drawin: the water from said lights.

6. A boat or carrier provided with an endless traok and wheels for mounting the said boat or carrier on said track, and having means for creating optical illusions while said boat or carrier is traveling on said tracks consisting of windows provided with double transparent lights, a Water-reservoir, pipes connecting said reservoir with the space between each pair of lights, means for forcing the water from said reservoir into the spaces between said windows, and suitable valves for controlling the flow of water.

7. An illusion boat or carrier having .an endless track partly submerged in water, a canal for a part of said track, windows and a door each provided with double transparent lights, a reservoir for carrying Water, pipes connecting said reservoir with the spaces between each pair of lights, suitable valves for controlling the flow of water, and a tank for containing a supply of water.

In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, this 2d day of December, 1902.

MARSHALL E. SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

L. T. KNIGHT, A. L. JACKSON. 

